paten



(No Model.) 2'Sheets-Sheet 1.

O. PAYEN. PROCESS OF PRODUCING POROUS GRYSTALLIZED METAL PLATES.

' Wm.) I Q p finw jam wad Jnui/ M (No Model'.) Y 2 SheetsShe-et 2.

G. PAYEN. PROGESSOP PRODUCING POROUS ORYSTALLIZED METAL PLATES.

N0.'415,683. Patented Nov. 19, 1889.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLEMENT PAYEN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE ELECTRICSTORAGE BATTERY COMPANY, OF GLOUCESTER CITY, NEW

JERSEY.

PROCESS OF PRODUCING POROUS CRYSTALLIZED METAL PLATES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 415,683, dated November19, 1889.

Application filed March 7, 1889. Serial No. 302,327. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CLEMENT PAYEN, a citizen of the Republic of France,but now residing at the city of Philadelphia, in the county ofPhiladelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in the Process of Producing Porous OrystallizedMetal Plates, of which the following is a specification.

IO My invention relates to the production of a porous crystallized metalplate or other structure having its atomic aggregation preserved withgeometrical regularity in columns therein.

My invention consists in subjecting a nitrate or nitrates of a metal ormetals to fusion, then pouring the mass into a mold and allowing it tocrystallize therein, and then reducing the plate or structure to ametallic state.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated apparatus for casting aplate and of reducing the same to a metallic state, in which- Figure lisa perspective view of a twopart mold in which a fused. mass assumes acrystallized form. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a vase containing afluid with a series of crystallized plates in contact with a series ofmetal plates, and the said view illustrating the; manner of reducingsaid plates to a metallic state by chemical action; and

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view showing the mode of reducing thecrystallized plates by electrolytic action to a metallic state.

In order that my invention may be fully understood,l will now proceed todescribe the manner of conducting the process for the production of aporous crystallized metal silver plate or other structure.

A charge of nitrate of silver is melted or fused in a suitable furnaceand then discharged into the two-part mold A, wherein the mass incooling assumes a crystallized form. The selection of material for themold A is of some importance, and the interior surface thereof should beperfectly smooth. Preference is given to brass or bronze for theformation of the mold. Molds made of mal- 5o leable or cast iron aresubject to disintegraof the mold.

tion in a short time. Those made of lead re quire the exercise of care,owing to their tendency to melt when a fused mass is poured into them.The mold may be constructed of either equal or unequal thicknesses ofmetal, as desired.

In pouring a fused mass into a mold having the two parts of equalthicknesses of metal such mass will commence to cool from each side, andthe individual crystals will meet or unite with each otherat theirsummits, sides, or facets, forming columns with geometricalregularity-that is, the crystals assuming such geometrical regularity incolumns parallel to each other, or substantially so, from one side ofthe mold will meet or unite with the crystals forming columns withsimilar regularity from the opposite side of the mold at the median lineof the crystallized plate or structure,

In pouring a fused mass into a mold having the two parts of unequalthicknesses of metal such mass will commence to cool from each side, butthe crystals will assume a fixed position in the structure faster fromthe side of the mold having the greater thickness of metal than thecrystals assuming a fixed position in the structure from the oppositeside of the mold of a less thickness of metal-that is, the crystals fromone side of the mold will meet or unite with each other, forming columnswith those meeting or uniting with each other and forming columns fromthe opposite side of the mold; but these columns of crystals thus formedwill unite with each other from both sides of the mold beyond the medianline of the plate or other structure.

The two-part metal mold A, Fig. 1, hinged together at a, is providedwith matrices a and a for the reception of the fused mass ingo troducedthrough the conical-shaped trough a formed with or secured to one of theparts At suitable distances apart in the surface of the mold are formedvent-holes a and the two parts of the mold are clamped 5 together bymeans of pawls or latches a, formed with one of the parts and engagingwith a strip a, formed with the opposite part of the mold.

WVhen the mass has assumed a solid crys= 10o tallized form in thetwo-part mold A and the plate or other structure has cooled off therein,it may then be removed for reduction to a metallic state by eitherchemical or electrolytic action, or both, in the following manner: In avase G, containinga solution of a salt or a chloride and water-such asdilute sal-ammoniac-in the proportion of five to ten per cent, more orless, a series of crystallized plates 5 is arranged alternately incontact with a series of metallic zinc or other plates 6 of equaldimensions. It is well to exercise some care in the selection of thesolution to immerse the plates in, and preference is given to a salt forthe solution belonging to the same family or class as the salt ornitrate composing the crystallized plates. A series of the crystallizedplates 5, arranged in contact with a series of metallic zinc or otherplates; v6, of equal dimensions, having been immersed in a vase in asolution of sal-ammoniac and water for from twelve to fifteen hours,(more or less,) the effect produced by the chemical action taking placewill be to eliminate whatever gases the crystallized plat-es contain,thereby leaving them in a porous metallic state. The plates treated inthe manner described may then be removed from the vase and washed andthen dried by a gentle heat, whereby they will be brought toachemically-pure state of perfection, with substantial strength forvarious purposes.

Another mode of reducing the crystallized plates to a metallic state byelectrolytic action may be carried out in the following manner: A seriesof crystallized nit-rate plates 5 is mounted in a vase G, containingsulphuric acid and Water in the proportion of ten per cent, (more orless.) The crystallized nitrate plates 5- arealternated with charcoal,lead, or other. plates 6, of equal dimensions, provided with lugs. Careshould be taken in the mounting of the two systems of plates 5 and 6 inthe vase G to see that each is properly insulated from each other andalso from the vase, and, moreover, that the plates are firmly heldtherein, in order that all wabbling may be. avoided, whereby bulging,bending, or warping of the plates in their reduction to a metallic statewill be prevented. The two systems of plates 5 and 6, each properlyinsulated from the other, having been mounted in the vase G, containinga solution, a bar of metal, lead, or other material g is fitted snuglyup against one of the edges of each nit-rate plate5 and held in positionby means of an insulating-strip 71/, introduced between said bar and thevase G A wire I is then connected with each of the bars g, in contactwith the system of crystallized nitrate plates 5, and another wire 2 isconnected with the lugs t of the system of charcoal, lead, or othermetal plates 6, and the two wires connected, respectively, with thepositive and negative electrodes 92 ands of a dynamo IV, the positiveelect-rode connected by means of wire 2 with the system of charcoal,lead, or other metal plates 6, while the negative electrode is connectedby means of the wire I with the system of crystallized-nitrate plates 5,and in the electrolytic action which takes place the nitrate isdecomposed into its two gasesnitrogen and oxygenand these two gasesescape into the open air, thereby leaving the crystallized plates in aporous metallic state. The crystallized metal plates, treated asdescribed, may then be removed from the vase G, washed, and then driedby a gentle heat, whereby they will be brought to a chemicallypurestate, with substantial strength for use as filters and other purposes.

YVhile I have described the. use of nitrate of silver for the productionof'ametallic plate or other structure, still I do not wish to beunderstood as limiting myself to the use of such nitrate, as, amongothers, nitrate, of copper may be availed of for the production of aporous crystallized plate, having the characteristic featureshereinbefore fully described.

Having thus described the nature and objects of my invention, .what Iclaim as new, and desire to. secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The method of producing a porous crystallized metal plate or otherstructure, which consists in subjecting one or more nitrates of a metalor metals to fusion, then pouring the mass into a mold and allowing itto crystallize therein, and then reducing the structure to a metallicstate, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The method of producing a porous crystallized metal plate or otherstructure, which consists in subjecting one or more nitrates of a metalor metals to fusion, then pouring the mass into a mold and allowing itto cool and crystallize therein, and then reducing electrolytically thestructure to a metallic state, substantially as and for the purposes setforth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto setmy signature in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

CLEMENT PAYEN.

